When I first started researching the self-publishing industry, several resources and ideas proved to be especially helpful and saved me untold hours of unnecessary work and frustration. I highly recommend each one. Keep in mind that each of these resources also offers opinions and assistance with numerous related topics other than those I’m highlighting here. This is the first in a series of articles on this topic.
Printing on Demand with KDP and IngramSpark
Early in my research I realized that the most important decision I would have to make would be how to interact with the two print-on-demand (POD) providers Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark. There are plenty of free online articles on this enigmatic, convoluted topic. The best by far is the aptly titled “What Is the Difference Between IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing?” by 1106 Design, a Phoenix-based company that offers self-publishing book design and consulting services. (Full disclosure: I was so impressed by this article that I made sure to consider 1106 Design as a candidate for designing my most recent book, and I did hire them.)
https://www.1106design.com/2019/03/difference-between-ingramspark-and-kindle-direct-publishing/
Self-Publishing Industry Overview
TheBookDesigner.com’s 24-page PDF “10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing” is an excellent overview of the self-publishing industry. Along with a well-organized, current list of “do this” items, the document also includes a helpful list of “don’t do this” caveats. You can download it for free by subscribing to the site’s newsletter.
https://www.thebookdesigner.com/
Website Inspirations
Whether you hire a website developer or handle it yourself, it’s a good idea to study examples of compelling designs. “Website Design Inspiration: 77 Brilliant Examples of Homepages, Blogs & Landing Pages to Inspire You“ is a 97-page collection of website ideas from HubSpot that I did find to be inspirational. This PDF eBook is free when you subscribe to HubSpot’s newsletter. It is organized into sections for homepages, blogs and landing pages, with a wide variety of sub-sections for each.
https://offers.hubspot.com/website-design-homepage-examples
Kindle eBook Promotion Sites
Kindlepreneur.com’s free article “+127 of the Top Free and Paid Book Promotion Sites” covers free and paid eBook promotion sites, and related concepts such as tips on how to use and schedule promotional sites (this content is in a YouTube video). The promotion site listings are presented in very well-organized tables including a Search function for each table. Awesome!
https://kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/
A Must-Have Pre-Publishing Checklist
Shayla Raquel’s article “Pre-Publishing Checklist: A To-Do List for Indie Authors” covers the mission-critical tasks you need to handle in order to maximize your book’s success. Ranging from preparing a media kit to preparing your email list to finding your target audience, along with twenty other useful topics, this checklist-and-resource-guide (34 pages) is free when you subscribe to her newsletter.
https://shaylaraquel.com/prepublishingchecklist
A Guide to Publishing Like the Pros
Michele DeFilippo, owner of 1106 Design, has written the eBook Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing to help steer newcomers through the complicated process of self-publishing a book. Six chapters comprised of twenty main topics cover the entire process: practical considerations before you get started, cover design, editing, interior layout, proofreading, distribution, pricing and marketing. This extensive 80-page eBook is free when you subscribe to the company’s newsletter. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback and eBook formats.
An Organization for Self-Published Authors
The nonprofit Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) describes itself as “the professional association for authors who self-publish.” There is an annual fee for membership, with three different membership grades. A wide array of benefits includes advisory services; resource guides; private discussion forum; discounts on author services; services directory; public member profile with book listing; general legal advice; blogging, speaking and interview opportunities; and more.
https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/members/join/
Join a Facebook Group for Authors
Having easy access to a group of fellow authors is a powerful way to get fresh, informed perspectives on topics you have questions about. Check out Shayla Raquel’s excellent, robust Facebook Group “Curiouser Author Network” that describes itself as “a community for authors to learn, grow, and succeed.” Answers abound. Depending on where you live, there may be writing groups in your neighborhood that you can attend in person.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuriouserAuthorNetwork/
Lee Hudspeth is a poet, musician, recording artist and fellow human being. In December of 2019 he published his debut book of poetry Incandescent Visions. He is the co-author of ten nonfiction books in the field of Information Technology. He has written articles for professional journals like PC Computing and Office Computing, and is the author of over one hundred articles in the online magazine The Naked PC, where he was co-founder and co-publisher. Find out more about Lee, his books and his music at LeeHudspeth.com. Contact him at lee@leehudspeth.com.
Copyright © 2020 by Lee Hudspeth. All Rights Reserved.